As opposed to consoles sold by the end of 2013, as was implied, House and Sony meant by the end of the fiscal year, which ends in March 2014.

The PlayStation 4 launches in North America on
November 15.

Our TakeTranslation can be a
tricky, so it's doubtful that House misspoke when he said how many
consoles Sony projects to sell. Five million consoles before the end of
March 2014 is still an impressive estimation. The excitement that
appears to be surrounding Sony's console, especially when compared to
the competition, makes it seem like it's totally possible.